Josh has a wealth of experience under the belt in the trades and IT industry. His journey is an inspiring example of how change can really benefit people. Here, he talks about his career change and dives into his transition from the trades industry to study the Diploma in IT Tech Support.
Building blocks
When Josh got his first computer at 11 years old, he was instantly hooked. He began learning HTML and webpage development. Countless hours were spent behind his computer screen, browsing the internet and learning the make-up of his computer. This was the start of a passion, which would later turn into his career.
After secondary school in 2004, he started an apprenticeship and enrolled in a pre trade course at WelTec. After completing his first year in pre trade, he came back for block courses through 2005 and 2006. When Josh finished study, he joined the industry as a certified tradesmen.
Josh spent over 10 years in the trades industry, working on various building sites which took him around New Zealand, Australia and the UK. Although he was at the top of his game, he spent his leisure time on a computer.
Taking the leap into IT
By 2019, Josh was well established in his career. He entertained the idea of starting a construction business, but he couldn’t ignore that he had lost his passion for trades.
Josh felt anxious leaving the trades world, but he knew changing careers was the right move for him.
“A lot of people around my age don’t think they can change careers, but it can be done. I haven’t looked back since”.
It was then that Josh made the decision to move back to New Zealand to study IT at WelTec. He was ready to take the leap.
Josh studied the Diploma in IT Tech Support, learning key skills around networking, database management, customer support and user management. For Josh, learning was seen through an industry perspective. Amidst the effects of COVID-19, the learning environment was supportive and flexible.
“The cool thing about lectures was that there was a relaxed approach to learning. Our tutor would always come around to check on what you were doing, spend time with each individual and answer any questions that we had”.
During study, he kept busy by picking up a role in the enrolments team at Whitireia and WelTec. He worked on backend systems and managed the enrolments for students.
From student to staff
After completing the Diploma in IT Tech Support in 2020, a role opened up with the ICT team at Whitireia and WelTec, as the Service Centre Digital Advocate. The transition into working at Whitireia and WelTec was natural for Josh.
“I found that there was a lot of transferable skills from trades. Being able work with different people, time-management, critical thinking and problem solving translated to my role in IT”.
“It was also helpful being a student here, because I understood what students wanted to do from a technology perspective. I knew that whenever students had issues, I was equipped in finding solutions for them”.
Since his time in the role, he has been involved in various projects that staff and students have benefited from. Recently, Josh led the creation of the shuttle booking system for students. This was an automated system that allowed students to make shuttle bookings for free campus transport. Previously, bookings were manually operated by the learner support team, taking up hours of work per week.
Another aspect to his role is providing on-the-job training with students that gain work experience with the ICT team. He trains students to triage technology issues, so these issues can be solved by the wider ICT team. A pivotal headstart for students to gain real world skills while keeping it a learning experience.
Everyday is different for Josh. One day, he could be running an AV tutorial, another day he could be leading a workshop for students. For Josh, he enjoys the variation that this job brings. His decision to change careers has come full circle.
